FORM FOUR MATHEMATICS

CHAPTER 5

THREE DIMENSIONAL GEOMETRY

Geometrical properties of common solids

A point has no size. It is said to have no dimension. It is dimensionless.

It is represented by (x)

A line is the path traced by a moving point.

It has no thickness, only a length. Hence it has one dimension.

E

D
F G C

A B

A B

The edge AB of the cuboid is a line hence it has one dimension.

The shaded face ABGF of the cuboid is of two dimensions (a plane)

because it has area but no volume.

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A figure with volume is said to be three dimensions. All solids are three
dimensional.

A solid can be described in terms of

 Vertices (points)
 Edges (lines)
 Faces (planes)

Geometrical relationship between lines and planes in 3 dimensions is

discussed.

Examples of 3 dimensional

a) Octahedron

c) Cone

b) Cube d) prism

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Angle between a line and a plane

 A line is said to lie on a plane if every point of the line lies on the
plane.
 A line is said to be parallel to a plane if the line never meets the
plane.
 If a line neither lies on a plane nor is parallel to it, then the line
intersects the plane on a single point.
 A line which is perpendicular to a plane is also perpendicular to
every line in the plane through this point of intersection.

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 AN is called the projection of AP on the plane.

The angle between the line and plane is defined as the angle Ɵ
between the line and its projection on the plane.

Example

- A pyramid has a square base ABCD of side 3cm.V is the vertex.

The slant edges are all of length [Link] the angle between
the edge VA and the base.

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Solution

O 3CM

3CM

A B

AC = (AB)2 + (BC)2

32 + 3 2

9 + 9

= 18CM

AC =√ 18

= 4.24 CM
4.24 CM
AO = 2

= 2.12 CM

i) Square both AB and BC.

ii) Add the squared value together to obtain 18cm.
iii) Find the square root of 18 to obtain 4.24cm.
iv) Divide AC (4.24 cm) by two to get AO as 2.12 cm

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Using SOHCAHTOA

V (CAH) =
Adj
COS Ɵ = Hyp
2.12cm
4cm Cos Ɵ= 4 cm

θ Cos Ɵ= 0.53

A 2.12 cm Cos –I 0.53 = 580

hence ˂ VAO = 58o

i) Divide adjacent (2.12 cm) by hypotenuse (4cm)

ii) Obtain Cos –I of 0.53

Example 2

The figure below represents a cuboid EFGHJKLM in which EF = 40cm, FG

=9cm, GM = 30CM. N is the mid-point of LM. Calculate,

a) Length GL
b) Length FJ
c) The angle between EM and the plane EFGH.

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 Solution
a) Length GL

L a2 + b2 = c2

(FG)2 + (FL)2 = (GL)2

92+ 302 = (GL)2

30cm 81+900 = 981

981 = (GL)2

√ 981= √(GL) 2

F 9cm G GL = 31.32 CM

i) From Pythagoras theorem.

ii) Square 9 and 30
iii) Add 81 and 900
iv) Find the square root of 981 to obtain GL.

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 b) Length FJ

H i) find FH first, so that it can help us get FJ.

Using Pythagoras theorem

(EF)2 + (EH)2 = (FH)2

9cm 402 + 92 = (FH)2

1600 + 81 = 1681

E 40CM F 1681 = (FH)2 (Find the square root)

FH = 41CM

30cm But FH = 41cm

HJ = 30cm

H 41cm F redraw the triangle using Pythagoras theorem

(HF)2 + (HJ)2 = (FJ)2

(41cm)2 + (30)2 = (fj)2

 Squaring 41 and 30
1681 + 900 =
 Adding
= 2581
2581 = (FJ)2

 Find the square root of both sides.

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√ 2581=√ ( FJ )2

50.80 CM = FJ

SO FJ = 50.80 CM

c) The angle between EM and the plane EFGH .

 The angle between a line and a plane is the angle between the
line and its projection on the plane.
The projection is EG

30CM

E G

41CM G

The diagonal

EG = HF = 41cm i) Replacing the values.

Using SOHCAHTOA

TOA ii) Diving 30 by 40cm.

opposite
Tan Ɵ = adjacent iii) finding tan –I of 0.73
30 cm
Tan Ɵ = 41 cm

Tan Ɵ= 0.73

Tan -1 0.75 = 36.190

Ɵ= 36. 190

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Example 1

The plane ABCD intersects the plane ADEF in the line AD below. What is
the angle between the planes?

Solution

i) Choose a point M on the common line AD.

ii) On plane ABCD , draw MP perpendicular to AD.
iii) On plane ADEF, draw MQ perpendicular to AD.
Hence the angle between the two planes ABCD and ADEF is
angle PMQ

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EXAMPLE 2
The figure below shows a right pyramid VPQRS on a rectangular base PQRS.

R 10cm

O
m

Q 8cm p 6cm

M is the midpoint of PS and Ps = 6cm, PQ = 8cm and height OV of the

pyramid is 10cm.

Calculate the angle between the planes VSP and PQRS.

Ref: maths KLB BK 4

Pg. 119

Exercise 5.1

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ANGLE BETWEEN TWO PLANES

Any two planes are either parallel or intersect in a straight line.

The figure below shows two planes PQRS and PQTU intersecting along a straight line PQ.

S
N
U
R
L

P T

Nm is on plane PQRS

LM is on plane PQTU

NM and LM are perpendicular to PQ the line of intersection of the two

planes at M.

Angle Ɵ between the lines NM and LM is the angle between the two
planes PQRS and PQTU.

Generally,

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The angle between two planes is the angle between two lines, one on
each plane, which are perpendicular to the line of intersection at a
point.

Solution
Redraw the triangle from the figure.

V
10cm

4cm 0 4cm M

The angle between the planes VSP and PQRS is the angle Ɵ.

SOH CAH TOA

opp
Tan Ɵ = adj opp= 10cm

Adj = 4cm
10 cm
Tan Ɵ¿ 4 cm

Tan Ɵ= 2.5

Tan -12.5 = 68.20

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 Ɵ= 68.20

 Replacing the values of opposite and adjacent.

 Divide 10cm by 4cm.
 Obtain the tan-I of 2.5

Skew lines

Skew lines are two lines that do not intersect and are not parallel e.g.
lines on different planes.

The angle between two skew lines is found by translating one of the
lines to the plane containing the other.

E H

F G

A D

B C

In the figure above;

BC and FG are parallel.

AB and HD
FB and AD
EF and GC are skew
EH and DC
AD and HG

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EF and FB are intersecting line segments.

For example to get the angle between EH and DC; the procedure is
either;

 Translate line DC to the plane EFGH to obtain HG. Then the angle
between the two lines is ˂GHE, which is 900
Or
 Translate line EH to the plane ABCE to get AD. Then the angle
between the two lines is ˂CDA which is 90o

Exercises

1. Ref : KLB MATHS BK 4

EXERCISE 5.2
PG. 129

2. Ref: certificate maths Bk. 4

3. Exercise 5(d)
4. Pg. 108

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